Spilled Ink by Alexandra Grant

Spilled Ink by Alexandra Grant

Candide, Can Didn't

What Voltaire Said to Me

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Alexandra Grant
May 23, 2026
∙ Paid
a painting of a man sitting at a table
Photo by The Cleveland Museum of Art on Unsplash

There have been times in my life when I have pondered which book or author has left the biggest impression on me. I have often been without an answer until I realized it came from a book, or rather a novella, I read in my junior high years. No, it wasn’t for a book report. I picked it up at a sale one day, purchased it, and read it in a day.

At the time, I thought it was so short that it would not have such a lasting effect, but it has. At 58, it is one of the select few books I never forget. There have been many instances when I could not recall the title of the book. More so, there have been times when I could not even name the author. I could only recall the premise of the story.

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